Teaching for independence

Abstract

If “learning how to learn” is the most important subject matter of 20th Century schools, then the time has come to encourage the widespread development of undergraduate reading degree programs for future teachers. Ten years ago, Eastern Washington University began offering Reading Education as an undergraduate major for elementary teaching candidates, and as an undergraduate minor for secondary teaching candidates. The availability of a reading major has created a positive cycle of benefits for EWU students, the districts that hire our students, the department of education and the university. This paper explains the rationale behind the establishment of the reading major and this university's findings following 10 years of successful teacher education in the discipline of reading.